Confequences and ill Effects of Adam's Sin upon us: Which Places I have explained to you, as plainly and clearly as I can, in the Integrity of my Heart, without any Defign, Defire or Endeavour to cloak or fmother, colour or diffemble, magnify or leffen any thing; but have, to the best of my Power, fhewn you every thing in it's true Light and full Strength. THE Sum of all that we have found is this: That upon the Sin of Adam God fubjected him and his Pofterity to Sorrow, Labour and Death; from which Death we are delivered, and are reftored to Life at the Refurrection, by the Grace of God, having Refpect to the Righteoufnefs and Obedience of Chrift. And furthermore, That God in Chrift hath bestowed upon us Mercy and Gifts, Privileges and Advantages, both in this and a future World, abundantly beyond the reverfing of any Evils we are fubject to, in Confequence of Adam's Sin. IT appeareth therefore, for any thing I can fee, that the true Anfwer to this Queftion, How far we are involved in the Confequences of Adam's Sin? is this: We are thereby, or thereupon, subjected to temporal Sorrow, Labour and Death. All which (Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift!) are in the Redeemer turned into great Advantages, as to our present spiritual Improvements; and at length length we fhall, if obedient to the Son of God, and fanctified by the Methods of Salvation established in him, not only be delivered from them all, but we shall also reign for ever with him in Glory. BUT, befides thefe five Places, there are many others quoted by Divines, as relating to this Affair, tho' in them no mention is made of Adam, or of any Effects that his Sin hath upon us. But having been long, and by many, taken in that Senfe, they demand our Confideration, and you fhall have my Thoughts upon them as Leifure admits. NORWICH, APPEN [65] APPENDIX. T HE foregoing Explications of Rom. v. 12. I hope, are in a good measure fufficient to clear the Apoftle's Language and Argument. But there are ftill two Points which require further Illuftration, One is; How is it confiftent with Justice, that a whole Race fhould be fubjected to Death by the Difobedience of one Man? The other; How Shall we account for all Mankind's being made righteous, or restored to Life at the Refurrection, by the Obedience of another Man, JESUS CHRIST? I. IN Answer to the firft Query, we need not urge the abfolute Right of the MAKER and LORD of all to limit the Exiftence of his Creatures as he pleafeth. JUSTICE Will be abundantly vindicated, if it appear that GOODNESS is concerned in this Difpenfation; and that poffibly God might propofe kind and beneficent Ends, in that which is to us ungrateful fuffering. And this will be readily allowed, if we confider that our gracious FATHER did not intend Mankind fhould finally and for ever continue under that Death, to which they were fubjected in Confequence of Adam's Sin. No. Immediately upon the anulling the firft Covenant, he advanced a new and grand Scheme for restoringMankind, and exalting them to eternal Life. And Death must be confidered as transferred into this new and gracious Difpenfation; otherwise it will be inconfiftent with it. In this View Dea'h will be, upon the whole, a Benefit; and we may account for all Mens being made Sufferers by the Difobedience of Adam in the Manner following. THAT Judgment, which was pronounced upon Adam for his Sin, came upon all Men : Or, the Judge decreed, That the Sentence paffed upon Adam fhould, as to the Things inflicted in themselves confidered, light upon his Pofterity. JUST as if a FATHER, for fome Irregularity in his firft Child, fhould determine to lay a Restraint upon him either in Diet, Drefs, or Diverfions; and at the fame time fhould judge it expedient to make it a Rule with all the other Children he may afterwards have. In this Inftance it is easy to fee, how the Judgment to Condemnation, pronounced upon the Offence of the Firstborn, cometh upon the other Children, even before they are brought into the World, without any Injustice, nay, perhaps with a great great deal of Goodness on the FATHER's Part. Upon the first it is a proper Punishment: Upon the reft it cometh as wholiome Difcipline. And yet through the Offence of one they are debar'd fome Pleasures or Enjoyments. By the Offence of one the Judgment to Condemnation cometh upon all the reft: By one Child's Offence Restraint reigneth; and by one Child's Difobedience, the many, that come after him, are made Sinners, or Sufferers, as they are deprived of fome Enjoyment which they might be fond of, but which the FATHER faw, every thing confidered, would not be for their Good. BUT how is Death a Benefit? I anfwer, 1. In general to all Mankind Death is no fmall Benefit, as it increaseth the Vanity of all earthly Things, and fo abateth their Force to tempt and delude; hath a Tendency to excite fober Reflections; to induce us to be moderate in gratifying the Appetites of a corruptible Body; to mortify Pride and Ambition; and to give a Senfe of our Dependence upon God. And when Death at too great a Distance was not fufficient generally to gain these important Ends; when Mankind abufed a Life prolonged to near a thousand Years to univerfal Excefs and Violence, (Gen. vi. 12, 13.) God was pleased, after the Deluge, to F 2 vary |